Cinnabarinic acid protects against metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis by activating Aryl hydrocarbon Receptor-dependent AMPK signaling

In this episode, Dr. Aditya Joshi and coauthors discuss their team’s recently published study, “Cinnabarinic acid protects against metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis by activating Aryl hydrocarbon Receptor-dependent AMPK signaling." The study showed that absence of AhR in hepatocytes results in exacerbated metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) in mice subjected to Western-style high-fat high-fructose high-cholesterol diet. Moreover, treatment with a tryptophan catabolite, cinnabarinic acid (CA) mitigated hallmarks of MASH in an AhR-dependent manner. In conclusion, the study delineates the significance of hepatic AhR-dependent AMPK signaling in CA-mediated protection against MASH.   Cinnabarinic acid protects against metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis by activating Aryl hydrocarbon Receptor-dependent AMPK signaling. Nikhil Y. Patil, Iulia Rus, Felix Ampadu, Hassan M. Abu Shukair, Sarah Bonvicino, Richard S. Brush, Elena Eaton, Martin-Paul Agbaga, Tae Gyu Oh, Jacob E. Friedman, and Aditya D. Joshi 2025 329:4, G433-G447